You Jump First

By: Myah Ariel

Published by Simon Pulse, 2026-06-30

Better Than the Movies meets Beach Read in this young adult rom-com about a girl whose heartbreak pact with her crush’s brother turns into something she never expected.

Andie has had a hard year. With her parents now divorced, it’s just her and her mom at their lake house for the summer. But Andie is trying to forget about that and focus on reuniting with Patrick, her long-time, will-they-won’t-they crush. Did Andie and Patrick have a disastrous attempt at a first kiss last August? Well, yes. That’s behind them, though. This summer will be all sunshine and fireworks—literal and otherwise.

Tommy is supposed to have the perfect summer with his girlfriend, Chloe, who’s staying with his family at Big Bear Lake. He’ll finally feel like he fits in with the lake crew—something his brother, Patrick, always seems to do with ease. This summer will be all about working on his writing and being blissfully coupled up with the girl who has the most gorgeous eyes he’s ever seen.

Then Patrick shows up to the lake with a girlfriend of his own in tow and Tommy gets spectacularly dumped via text. Suddenly, Andie and Tommy are weighed down by heartbreak instead of buoyed up by romance. But who can better help you weather a broken heart than someone in the same boat?